FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

It has been a little bit since I was on the salt, so anxious to get back on the water and maybe catch supper while I am at it, orders of the Boss.  I think it will be a boat fish morning as I have some new baits to try and I know just the places.  So it will be up real early and on the way.  A little topwater at daylight then some serious plastics fishing, should be fun.

And a little known fact:  This is the 1,426th time I have posted.  Really kind of proud of that.  Guess I will shoot for 1500 and see where we go from there.

Weather

74/97.  Mostly sunny with a 25% chance of rain.  Wind ENE 8 – 13 mph.

Tides

Low  2:4 am    0.17 ft.   High  1:36 pm     1.15 ft.

Solunar Times

Major 7:09 am to  9:09 am.   Minor  1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.

****************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

******************

I was ready to hit the road so I would be at Froggie’s at daylight.  It was already busy, sounded like a Nascar race, forgot how busy it can be during the summer.  The water temp was in the 86 degree range and most places I fished the water color can best be described as poor.  But with the rain we have had it was not unexpected, and there was lots of water in the ditches on the way down.

There is just something about a good redfish smoking a topwater!

Since it was boat fish day first up was Big Bayou and one of my favorite redfish banks.  The wind was blowing on it, but it was fishable.  I always start with topwater or spinnerbait there year round, and it started off the morning with the one above.  Typical “here he comes” waking then blasting it, no missing for him.  (Since the Boss wanted a fish fry he went in the box with 1 trout.  Keeping with my policy of keeping only what we need for that night, no meat hauls, no freezer fish.)  You really have to give redfish credit, they are fun to catch.  That was the only bite there so time for some trout.

The best trout of the morning, a real fattie on the KTL Pink Ice.

The bank has 5’+ of water with a grass edge and a sharp drop and usually holds some better trout.  Today it was slower than usual.  But the one above was my first bite there, and turned out to be 1 of 3 on the first pass.  The other 2 were interesting.  The next one had it just like the one above, on the one above I moved the bait to show you, down in his gullet.  When I netted it he tossed his stomach out and came unbuttoned.  So no pic of that one, in as quick as I could, maybe he will make it.  But it was another good fish.  And the only other bite was also a nice one but when I boated flipped him he went over and came off and landed in the water behind me.  So not a bad pass, no big numbers but ok fish.

The “biggest” of the 3 rats.

Instead of fishing all the places I like in Big Bayou time to head to the Oil Cut.  That was a whole other animal.  The water color in there was not good and I only had a couple of bites, and I fished lots of it.  One was a real rat red the other a small trout.  That was definitely not what usually happens there.  So to finish off the morning I made a couple of passes back in Big Bayou.  I ended up catching 2 rats and 1 more small trout.  With the tide full up they quit it was real slow.  And there is a punch line and here it is.

When I got back to the ramp TPWD was doing a survey, which turned out to be for red snapper and not bay fish.  We got to talking and he said sounds like you caught more than almost anyone today.  And then he told me that Memorial Day Weekend they did the survey and almost everyone struck out.  So here is the punch line – They tested the water in the bay after all this rain and the salinity level was 5, which is wayyyyy down.  Average sea water is 35, and Baffin can reach a 100, so there you go. That really explains a lot about the fishing.

Though I have no complaint, I caught 10 or so and had not fished there in months.  And if I had stayed the day and caught the falling tide later in the afternoon a limit of both would not have been out of the question.  It was slow, but if the salinity is as low as it might still be the fishing could be slower for a little while.  We sure do not need any more rain right now.  I have heard tell that when it gets like this it is time to fish deep shell reefs, as in 5′ range as the freshwater stays on top and salt is below, consequently that is where the trout are hanging.  Just a thought.

And I had 2 Majek moments this morning, the first one right off the bat.  As I entered Big Bayou I dropped back to an idle to hit my first point.  I was not all that far from the bank, a big cast, when around the corner comes a Majek and he goes between me and the bank.  It was so freakin’ punk ass that I did not get mad.  Typical guide behavior that I have experienced many times out of POC.  I have made fun of Majeks  (Not the boat, they are great.) at times, asking whether when you buy one do you get a permit to be an asshole, or make bad choices?  Later  Majek number 2 comes screaming between 2 islands headed to the flat and bogged down he went.  Not sure why he thought he could do that, but whatever.  This horsepower race is just getting out of hand, and if gas prices keep heading up it might get a little sketching filling them up.  Just kidding but please by courteous and careful out there.

The overall score for today was an A-.  Great to have the boat back, no real wind, caught some fish, did not break anything, all good.  On the way home the boats were flooding into POC.  And they were setting up at the Community Center for what looks like a big tournament so things will be hopping at POC.  I am going to hit the lake in the morning early, and then as soon as we get the Boss over her knee surgery it will be some serious bay time.  Time to get in the water.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines